Is this true?

[timfromma]

Someone told me that locking your propane tanks onto your trailer tongue as a theft deterrent is actually dangerous and possible illegal. The rationale is that if your trailer was involved in an accident, the locking device will prevent firefighters from removing the tanks if needed to prevent a possible fire or explosion.


Any truth to this?

[D W]

Not true. Every Fire Dept that I know of has powerful extraction equipment, i.e. Jaws of Life or some equivalent. Those cutters are extremely efficient and operate at 5000 psi or above hydraulic pressure. Watched a Hurst demonstration several years ago where they showed a "cutter" mash through a 3" steel bar like it was butter.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by timfromma

Someone told me that locking your propane tanks onto your trailer tongue as a theft deterrent is actually dangerous and possible illegal. The rationale is that if your trailer was involved in an accident, the locking device will prevent firefighters from removing the tanks if needed to prevent a possible fire or explosion.


Any truth to this?

Yep. Some. That's why no propane cover or cubbie comes with any locks and are well marked with propane stickers. The fire department is not always the first ones there when there is a problem
That said, I have seen several TTs with a cable/chain run through the tanks and I can't find anything that says it is illegal to do so. In fact there are lots of locking devices for sale out there.

[Tapex]

https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ad.php?t=73930

[TitanMike]

I've seen an RV fire or two over the years and at those the Fire Department merely turned off valves if tanks weren't close to the fire. If the tanks were getting heated by the fire they sprayed with water which kept them cool enough that any expansion could escape the emergency valve and just burn off.

Never saw anyone try to remove a tank. Consider how most MH's have frame mounted tanks, and most 5-th wheel trailers have tanks in compartments, removing them is problematic.

The MH fire I saw on hwy 87 in Arizona had a 10' flame coming from the side where the tank was venting. About 10 minutes later the flame went out and nothing else.

Never read or even heard of any law (except here) where locking tanks to TT's was illegal.

[mmartin_tdc]

I do know that you can't have a propane tank in a locked compartment, but also never heard you couldn't lock them to the trailer in some manor. Like Mike said, must be able to shut the valves off at anytime, by anyone.

[Toy4Rick]

On my Class-C, the propane door is not lockable yet the tank is permanently mounted to the RV. Don't see how locking them on a TT would be any different

However IANAL

[PDFOR3]

The tank not locked in position would allow Superman to grab the tank and toss it into space. Otherwise he would have to hurl the entire trailer.